What’s Next for Benson Henderson?

T.J. Grant (21-5 / 4 TKOs, 13 Submissions, 4 Decisions)

With new champ Anthony Pettis potentially on the shelf for awhile with a knee injury, the original match-up slated for UFC 164 could still take place with Grant truly solidifying his spot as top contender by potentially beating "Bendo" (or Henderson showing he belongs in the discussion for a title-shot if he exits the affair with his hand raised).

Pat Healy (29-16 / 6 TKOs, 15 Submissions, 8 Decisions)

Healy is lined up to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov later this month and would likely be available in a few months when Henderson is ready to give it a go again. Like Henderson, "Bam Bam" is a solid grappler but likes to throw punches as well, and a tilt between the two would no doubt be a blast to watch.

Khabib Nurmagomedov (20-0 / 7 TKOs, 7 Submissions, 6 Decisions)

Nurmagomedov needs a few big wins under his belt and could be 21-0 depending on how he fares against Healy. Henderson would provide both an excellent test and a marquee match-up for the talented Russian, while taking out an up-and-comer like Nurmagomedov would get Henderson back on the right track divisionally.

Josh Thomson (20-5 / 5 TKOs, 9 Submissions, 6 Decisions)

Thomson is currently available, so matching him with Henderson would only require the paperwork to be in place, and he's on the short list of possible title-challengers in 2014. In addition to making sense from a rankings perspective, there's little doubt the scrap could also steal the show given the skill-sets possessed by each man.

Gray Maynard (11-2-1 / 2 TKOs, 0 Submissions, 9 Decisions)

Maynard is coming off a disappointing loss in the first round. Sound familiar? Like Henderson, he needs a win and has long been considered a Top 10 competitor. He also has wrestling to contend with Henderson's takedowns and could do some damage with his powerful punches.

Joe Lauzon (22-9 / 4 TKOs, 18 Submissions)

Lauzon is one of the most exciting fighters in the division even if he isn't the most consistent in terms of victory. Serving as Henderson's opponent would not only give fans an entertaining effort to observe but a bout "Bendo" would be favored to win, giving the former champion a chance to work his way back up to another go at gold.

Benson Henderson (19-3 / 2 TKOs, 8 Submissions, 9 Decisions)

The biggest fight Henderson may have on the horizon involves the internal struggle associated with losing a championship in such convincing fashion. Regardless, Henderson is still 7-1 in the Octagon and should be back in fine form once he heals up from any damage sustained in his defeat to Pettis at UFC 164.

UFC lightweight Benson Henderson went five full rounds with Anthony Pettis the first time the two collided in the cage but didn’t fare nearly so well last night at UFC 164. Henderson looked sharp in the beginning before getting caught in an Armbar and finished with less than a minute to go in the rumble’s opening round. With such plentiful options on the roster, “Bendo” will be back in the cage before long. Here are a few potential pairings for the former divisional king… (Photos by USA Today Sports Images)